The sun was shining down over the Koreas Thursday, as North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un walked down the white concrete steps of the demilitarized zone towards President Moon Jae-in of South Korea. 

As he approached his counterpart standing just over the border between the two countries, Kim’s round face lit up with a grin; an almost jovial expression as he extended his hand across in a historic moment for the two countries.

A man defined by a near annual tradition of nuclear threats against the Western world for the past seven years, Kim smiled and stepped across the border to join Moon in a summit focused on bringing peace to the peninsula.

The two leaders met in the “peace house” within the Demilitarized Zone to sign the historic Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification on the Korean Peninsula. Taking a private stroll together, as well as planting a symbolic tree, both leaders smiled and laughed together, much to my wonder.

According to Reuters, the North Korean leader joked he would immediately halt missile tests as to not disturb Moon’s sleep. A man criticized globally for his seeming disregard for humanitarian standards, known for brutal labor camps and harsh punishment of those attempting to leave the country, was cracking jokes?

A year ago, on June 13 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Otto Warmbier, an American student who was arrested and given a 15-year sentence during his visit to North Korea, returned home. His parents described their son as “blind, deaf and howling,” as they met him on the runway. Six days later, Warmbier died from treatment received during his time there. So forgive me for not being so overjoyed as I watched that man plant a tree. 

CNN reports that the North Korean government conducted 23 missile tests last year alone. These sparked international fear and sanctions across the world, who has watched this propaganda machine lie and deceive its 25 million citizens for decades. 

Starvation is rampant, and reports like the Transnational Justice Working Group in Seoul, South Korea, which interviewed more that 300 refugees, reveal disturbing details.

“Many interviewees said that the final decision for a public execution was often influenced by individuals having a ‘bad’ family background in addition to the crime they were alleged to have committed,” the report said, referring to the frequent public executions that take place throughout the country.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding this historic event – and it truly is exciting. With China and Russia both making statements about denuclearization, and President Donald Trump per usual exclaiming his support via Twitter, it is a truly wonderful act of cooperation and peace the world has long been awaiting.

The Korean people deserve this peace, and the world deserves one less country waving around its nuclear weapons. However, I am apprehensive as to what Kim deserves. Will he face consequences for his actions? Or will the world forget his horrific acts in the name of peace and protecting a very unstable international situation? 

I’m sure Moon sleeps easier tonight. But what about Warmbier’s family? Or the countless families of those who perished in political prisons, labor camps or in the mass famines brought on by careless leaders such as Kim? I hope they find some justice in the peace to come.